Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: Solar Panel Fitment
From:Loren Busch
Date:Wed, 8 Apr 2009 12:42:02 -0700

RE: Solar Panels
If you read through Mike's page that he linked to you have the whole story.
My setup is functionally nearly identical to Mike's except I don't have the
fancy (expensive) monitor.  I started out with one 54 watt panel.  There is
an event I go to every year, in the middle of the Summer, where I'm parked
for at least six days, usually seven and sometimes eight.  I found that the
single panel just barely kept up and the last two years I was using the
Honda generator for a couple of hours about the fifth day.  So I acquired
another, identical panel.  And I store them the same place as Mike, the area
normally taken up by the top bunk.( My top bunk is out and a storage
compartment built in up there).  And I also use a couple of the cheap photo
monopods to prop up the panels.  One addition, I hold the two panels
together when deployed using a very sophisticated clamping system:  Two
small vice grips.  BTW, my connections are all Anderson Powerpole products
and my cable to connect is 25 feet of #10 zip cord,  very flexible and easy
to roll up and store.  I have a cable connected to the solar charge
sontroller (under the rear seat) that runs to a connector that stays tucked
away in the area under the rear cabinet.  When the panels are deployed the
25 foot cable is connected and run out to the panels and then connected
there.